Business Mentors in Kent

Are you a business in the heart of Kent, looking to elevate your business? In the Garden of England, where picturesque landscapes meet bustling towns like Maidstone, Canterbury, and Ashford, the entrepreneurial spirit runs deep.

Kent is not only the gateway to Europe but a fantastic place to set up and grow your business. Home to an array of diverse businesses such as BAE Systems, Abbott Laboratories, Laing O’Rourke and Shepherd Neame, Kent has innovation and business success at its core.

To help you navigate the intricate terrain of the business world, our team of seasoned mentors and coaches is here to provide expert guidance tailored to your unique needs.

Jim Gorrie

Jim Gorrie

After a successful and varied career in financial services, Jim was looking for a role that allowed him to fulfil his passion for helping people to develop, grow and achieve their potential.

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Mark Roblett

Mark Roblett

Mark has been instrumental in setting up and owning several successful businesses over the past 30 plus years. In this time he has accumulated a wealth of business knowledge, which compliments his natural entrepreneurial flare.

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Local Expertise, Global Vision

Our business mentors, who have deep roots in the local community, understand the challenges and opportunities that businesses in Kent face.

The proximity to London provides businesses in the county all the benefits of the capital, but none of the costs. In Kent, business owners can live in the suburbs, in the countryside, or by the sea. Yet, they can run their business with the perfect work/life balance everyone in London strives for and still be very successful.

We have seen it and UKBM brings your business a wealth of experience garnered from working with businesses of all sizes. Our mentors have worked across various industries in the region, ensuring you receive guidance that's both locally grounded and globally informed.

Unlock Your Full Potential

At UKBM, we're dedicated to helping established businesses break through barriers and reach their full potential.

We’re here to help you and your company grow, deal with the challenges and pressures, and achieve the business growth and personal success you aspire to. We have the knowledge, skills and experience to help take you to the next level and beyond.

Whether you're seeking strategies to expand your customer base in Dartford or enhance operational efficiency in Sevenoaks, our mentors will work closely with you to address your specific goals and challenges.

Customised Solutions for Your Business

Our services are tailored to meet the diverse needs of Kent's business community. We understand that every business is unique, whether you're a traditional family-owned establishment in Gravesend or a dynamic startup in Folkestone.

From leadership development and strategic planning to marketing strategies and financial management, we offer a comprehensive suite of mentoring and coaching services designed to help you achieve sustainable growth.

Renowned Businesses

Kent is home to some of the UK's most renowned businesses, including:

  1. Shepherd Neame: Britain's oldest brewery, based in Faversham. The founding date is 1698, but the brewery has found evidence of operations before this date. Shepherd Neame is well known for its traditional ales and beers across the UK.
  2. Saga Group: A prominent insurance and travel company with headquarters in Folkestone, offering a range of services for the over-50s demographic.
  3. Kent Reliance: A well-established building society headquartered in Chatham, specialising in mortgages and savings accounts.
  4. Hornby: Based in Margate, Hornby is a renowned manufacturer of model railways, slot cars, and other collectable hobby items. In 2014, they moved to Sandwich, then moved back to Margate in 2019 where they had been based for 60 years.

Testimonials

  • "As a sole director of a small start-up during such a turbulent year, Jim Gorrie became both business mentor and counsellor. He grasped the complexities of my business quickly, with its different markets and revenue streams, and made me step back from the day-to-day to focus on the business - my vision for it and the challenges to overcome to move forward. I didn't have a finished business plan, and I still haven't. I don't think I'd look at it let alone follow it. Instead Jim gave me the necessary tools to complete a shorter, more useful Vision Summary. The input was probably as much but the output required less paper and it is a core document for me and serves as a three-year road map. Jim also helped me navigate tricky situations with suppliers. A year on, I've made the transition from fledgling entrepreneur to business director, assessing risk, focused on preparedness for the challenges ahead and 'lighting fires under opportunities'. I'd recommend Jim to other business owners. He has made a big difference to me and my business, and he's also a very nice bloke! Thanks, Jim."

    Penny Worms - Tunbridge Wells, Kent
  • "Very positive rewarding experience having received business mentoring from Jim. I am extremely grateful for his vast experience and knowledge. I felt listened to and supported when discussing any issues I was struggling with. One thing I remember Jim saying initially was "you can be very good at what you do, but learning to run a business is very different" which is so true and the reason why I recommend his services to others is because I have learnt so much and can now start putting this into practice."

    Jill Grainer - Tunbridge Wells, Kent
  • "Working with Chris over the past four years has been invaluable. Having a professional business coach has given me the drive to push my personal development and career forward. Chris always has the energy, clear thinking, and ability to help me find my best self. Together we discuss ideas, concerns, struggles and achievements and this gives me the clarity to drive me to the next level and confidence to share my knowledge and experience with colleagues. Thank you Chris and I’m looking forward to our fifth successive year of working together."

    Kevin Martin. Area Director - Just Mortgages. Rochester, Kent
  • "I have worked with Nigel over the last couple of years. We both know how important honesty is in business, both with yourself and business partners. You may not agree with what he has to say. Nigel will help you clarify that which is most important, he too will congratulate and confirm your decisions, but question those that need more thought. Its good to know you can get a reality check from someone who only wants your success, because it’s his too."

    Jacqui Seager Director of Amvill Technologies - Sutton Valence, Kent
  • "Chris May has been an absolute inspiration to work with. He has helped me to develop my financial services business and we continue to work together as the business changes and develops. Importantly for me, having a business mentor has helped me to plan my personal goals and aspirations as well as my business future. The impact of having Chris on board has been immense. For anyone out there thinking about a business mentor, I highly recommend you call UK Business Mentoring."

    Jack Neale - Canterbury, Kent
  • "I have been extremely fortunate to have had Jim Gorrie from UK Business Mentoring expertise and support in developing Book A Bar and mentoring myself in order to grow and improve my business. I could not recommend Jim any more highly if you are looking to diversify and expand your business, or even if you just need some knowledgable and professional advice."

    Byron Bovis - Rochester, Kent
  • "Jim Gorrie was really communicative, helpful and honest with me and I really appreciate his support."

    Lee Giles - Hythe, Kent
  • "My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Jim Gorrie to look at the management of our family business, Battle Sector X. Jim was readily adaptable and responsive to the many different situations and scenarios we asked for guidance with over the months he was working with us. Jim is an incredibly experienced professional and shares his knowledge and skills in a personable; tailored way. I was sceptical when my husband first introduced the idea of working with a mentor; but I can genuinely say that Jim was a breath of fresh air. I 100% recommend Jim’s support."

    Lucy Taylor - Rochester, Kent
  • "Jim's advice and support has been so valuable. He's helped bring clarity to the way we work and the business has improved hugely."

    Laura Fetherstonha - Ashford, Kent
  • "At Smart Web Agency, we had the pleasure of working with Jim who has completely transformed a few aspects of how our software business operates. The expertise, guidance, and unwavering support have had a significant impact on our pricing strategies, client onboarding processes, and time management techniques. One of the most remarkable aspects of the coaching was the ability to help us optimise our pricing model. Prior to working with the coach, we often struggled to strike the right balance between profitability and customer satisfaction. Thanks to Jim’s advice, we now have a pricing strategy that not only boosts our bottom line but also resonates with our clients. In addition to pricing, Jim was really helpful in revamping our client onboarding processes. By setting clear expectations since the beginning, we seem to be more in control now for the projects we have started recently. Jim’s coaching style is incredibly engaging and motivating. He listened attentively to our concerns and offered constructive feedback. Overall, I can confidently say that Jim has been an invaluable asset to our software business. I wholeheartedly recommend Jim to any business looking to elevate its operations and achieve sustainable growth."

    Rehan Ahmed - Ashford, Kent
  • "Jim's guidance has been invaluable over the past 6 months. My business has noticeably changed since we've been working together. Jim has brought a new outlook, positively challenged aspects of the business and provided excellent resources to support/resolve the pain points within my business. I highly recommend working with Jim, thank you!"

    Caroline Ward - Maidstone, Kent
  • "Looking for an Experienced Business coach? Well Jim Gorrie will always provide …At AOC Deepcleaning we were interested in seeking help with the growth of our business not only from the business point of view but for help to grow to employ local people. We would not generally look to turn towards having a business coach as believing we could do as most companies would however having the opportunity to have a Business coach, or adviser to provide advice in places we would not have looked in now we see as invaluable. Since we started working with Jim Gorrie this has been a great help we now have started to put plans in place where we would have not seen to do so such as marketing and different ways such as internally contacting clients, upscaling providing staff with skills to do the same to increase the volume of sales leading to a higher turnover /Profit and all leading to growth. Jim has also provided new skills in setting meetings within the company that then leads to more planning and views, discussions, and giving all staff input into how we can increase the growth of the company. We are currently working with Jim to overview finance and projections and goals to achieve going forward I do strongly believe if we had not had the chance to experience what is on offer working with a business coach we would have just continued trying the same way of growth but not achieving the goals and aspirations we look forward to now. Since working with Jim we have now employed 1 more member of staff and are looking to employ further towards the end of the year. We all would like to thank Jim Gorrie for all his help and who is such a great person to have had the pleasure to work with over the past year Many thanks from us all at AOC Deep Cleaning."

    Darren Kingsnorth - Ashford, Kent

    Find business mentors across the South West of England

    From time to time, we may refer you to a mentor in one of Kent’s neighbouring counties if your more local business mentors and coaches are at full capacity, if we feel an alternative mentor would provide a stronger match for your specific needs, or if it works better for you logistically. You can learn more about each of the local mentors for those regions by selecting the relevant county below:

    Still Looking?

    Simply select your nearest location from the dropdown list below and click "show mentors" to see mentors we have covering that area.

    We build long term relationships with our clients

    We become their ‘unreasonable friend’, which means we will ask the question or maybe say the thing that business owners may not want to hear but know that it’s done for their benefit. To learn more, download our client brochure by clicking the link down below.

    Book your complimentary mentoring session today
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